Creating a Scrollsaw Portrait-start to finish Part II

Welcome back!Today the cutting has begun.The standard practice is to begin at some point in the center of the pattern, and cut working your way outward.In the first photo , the first cut has been completed.You can see how the blade was inserted into the previously drilled pilot hole.When cutting , the wood was rotated while following the pattern line, as I use a flat blade..There is however a type of blade that negates rotating the wood, and that is a spiral blade.Spiral blades cut 360 degrees.Many artists prefer to only use these blades.They do have their advantages,but that is a different discussion.
The next photo shows an area in which "veining" cuts will be made.Veining is a technique that brings a lifelike appearance to the art.The veins of a leaf or folds in clothing look more realistic when this technique is used.In this step,it is used to define the feathers of the ducks wing.To vein ,simply saw all solid black lines as indicated on the pattern.The pencil indicates the area to be veined.

Next we see the veining in progress.

A close-up view after completing this particular veining cut.Once the pattern is removed,it will be more noticeable.


At this point the cutting is about 1/4 complete.You can see the detail of the ripples in the water, and some of the reeds.

To Be Continued.........

Creating a Scrollsaw Portrait-start to finish Part I

I'd like to lead you through the process of actually cutting a portrait from start to finish, following step by step procedures.This will take place over several days, so check back often.Although I have the capability to create my own patterns, for this project I'll use a purchased pattern of Wood duck Retreat from Great American Scrollsaw Patterns (TM) http://www.berrybasket.com/

I'll be using a cutting method called stack cutting.This is done by stacking several pieces of wood together and cutting multiple portraits simultaneously.I begin by selecting the wood.For this project I'll be using two 1/8 " pieces of Maple plywood an one piece of 1/4 " Oak plywood.A few words on plywood vs. hardwood.-Plywood does NOT mean an inferior piece of art.One substantial advantage to plywood is recognized when cutting very intricate detail.Plywood is less susceptible to breakage when cutting,which could ruin an exquisite cutting.Hardwood is often used when the art will displayed unframed.Using plywood in an unframed piece would expose the edge of the core material.Some folks find this distracting.I find that in smaller thicknesses,even if left unframed, it doesn't grab your attention.Other advantages are cost factors.

In the photos below, you will see the wood I've selected for this rendition.The oak is the center piece.The wood has been cut to the desired size of the portrait.These will be 11 x 14 inches or 27.94 x 35.56 cm.


After sanding the wood, the next step is to stack and secure the wood pieces together.There are several ways to do this.I prefer the tape method,which is to place tape around the edges. I have found using the blue painters tape to be the easiest to use , especially when it's time to remove it.It doesn't adhere as strongly as regular masking tape, which can tear off in small pieces when you attempt to remove it.But it is strong enough for the task.
The photo below shows the wood stacked together.I left an area open in order to show the separate pieces of wood.I have placed the oak in the center layer.


Next, the entire surface of one side the wood stack is covered with the painters tape as shown in the next photo..This is the side that we will attach the pattern to. This allows for pattern removal without the use of chemical solvents.




Now we're ready to attach the pattern.Using a spray adhesive,lightly spray the back side of the pattern and wait approximately 15 seconds to allow the adhesive to become tacky.Center the pattern over the wood and apply one edge of the pattern to the wood.Lower the rest of the pattern onto the wood,smoothing it with your hand as you go.This will remove any bubbles.After you have the pattern in place,cover it completely with clear packing tape.Be sure to remove any air bubbles in the tape.Otherwise, as you cut , sawdust will accumulate under the tape and make it difficult to follow the pattern.Surprisingly the clear tape helps to lubricate the blade while cutting,which helps it cut easier and prevents burning the wood.The photo below shows the pattern attached and clear tape applied.


Next we have to drill our pilot holes which is how we get the scroll saw blade through the wood to cut the interior.
In the next photo you can see up close a section of the pattern.The area that is removed during the cutting is known as the "waste area". We will drill our pilot holes in this area. Most often, the waste area is shown in white.Unless stated otherwise on the pattern this will be the case.Occasionally a pattern may state to cut out the black or gray area.




Now drill all pilot holes in the waste (white ) areas.You can see a few holes already drilled in the next photo.

After the holes are drilled, it's off to the saw.In the next two photos you will see the blade we'll be using and the saw itself.(In the saw photo the yellow snorkel apparatus to the right isn't part of the saw.It's part of my dust collection system which works on vacuum pressure.The orange tape on top of the saw is to protect the switch from dust, which can shorten the lifespan of the switch.The switch is "constantly on" as I use a foot switch to operate the saw.The saw only operates when you press the pedal.)




Tomorrow, in part 2 we'll actually begin cutting the portrait.

Portrait Freedom Project Underway

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must,like men,undergo the fatigue of supporting it."--Thomas Paine

http://groups.msn.com/scrollsawportraits/homepage

I "stopped by" the "Ready Room" today ( a little U.S. Navy aviation terminology there) to see how we're doing on this project.This is a project that's being self funded by scroll saw artists around the world to honor Allied service members who have fallen in the Iraq/Afghanistan War.

I am proud and honored to be a member of this group of artists!

Below is a copy of our press release that is being used to spread the word.Please feel free to download a copy of this and present it to your local media.

We have very strict quality control measures in place on this project.

At the end of this post I have attached one of the portraits that I have cut for this project,along with the original photo for comparison.
For the privacy of the families , I have omitted the names.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From: Scroll Saw Portraits Group

Contact: Gary Browning, 717-593-0648 after 6 pm Eastern Time

Portrait Freedom Underway

Members of the MSN Scroll Saw Portraits group with membership from all over the United States, Canada and beyond are embarking on a huge project where they will create a custom wooden portrait of every fallen soldier of the Afghan/Iraqi war and donate it to the families.

Their goal is to create and cut a wooden portrait of every fallen soldier. It is something they want to do to show their support of our military personnel and to honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms. There is no charge to the family for requesting a portrait.

The Scroll Saw Portraits group consists of over 2600 scroll saw artists and hobbyist worldwide. There are those who will design a pattern from a photograph of each soldier and then pass it to another member who will cut the pattern in wood using their scroll saw, frame it and send it to the family.

Their biggest challenge right now is getting photographs to work with. “We are appealing to individual family members or a contact person from each military base that can provide us with photographs of our fallen soldiers,” says Gary Browning, manager of MSN Scroll Saw Portraits group.

They expect their Portrait Freedom project to take some time, depending on the participation of family members and contact points. Their main concentration is on our US Military personnel but will include fallen soldiers of the coalition forces as well.

If you are a family member or know of a family member who has lost a son, daughter, husband or wife in the Afghan/Iraqi conflict, you can request information by contacting PortraitFreedom@hotmail.com. Due to the magnitude of this project, portraits are only available to the immediate family of the Fallen Hero. Each family will receive 2 portraits.

Military bases are also encouraged to get in contact with them if they can help with gathering photographs of personnel they have lost from their base. A contact person who can get the word out about the Portrait Freedom project to families who may not be aware of the project and who can gather photographs and coordinate getting the completed portrait to the families would be an immense help to the project.

For more information on Project Freedom, visit their web site at http://groups.msn.com/SSPSoldierPortraits/homepage

A Horse Is A Horse Of Course Of Course

Surely you have a story you could weave around this stately equine portrait.Is it your first horse, a show winner, or perhaps a derby or steeplechase winner?Does it conjure up childhood memories?

When I started creating this portrait, my mind began wandering back to an old childhood memory of watching a television show called Mr. Ed.

Mr. Ed was a talking horse who would never let anyone hear him but his master Wilbur. But the crazy thing is, they would actually engage in intelligent conversation.

You can find out more about this "Lucky Horse" portrait at his stable in my online etsy shop.
http://uploads.etsy.com/edit_listing5.php?listing_id=5990998

Unicorns DO exist!

I heard some very strange noises in my shop last evening.As I went to investigate,much to my surprise,there stood a Unicorn! I wrestled with him for quite some time and I finally captured him before he got away.You can see him on the website at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5975662

Be sure to bring the children! After all this,I need some rest.Good night.

Lead in Jewelry

Today I ventured out to read a few blogs from artisans over at etsy.com.The first one I visited is from Enthral. Enthral is a jewelry maker and has began research to determine if any of the materials she uses may contain lead.In her blog she has currently listed some items that may contain lead.This list includes ,but isn't limited to such items as pottery, pre 1972 dinnerware, and old metal buttons.

She has also purchased lead testing kits, and will continue to update her list as she discovers more lead bearing items.

She has also provided the links in her blog to the sites where she found this information.This will be very valuable information to watch for and may mandate taking a closer look at those family heirlooms that have been handed down.

To keep up to date on this issue, visit her post on this here: http://enthral-enthral.blogspot.com/2007/05/my-concerns-about-lead-continued.html

Joined the Carolina Etsy team

I recently joined the Carolina Etsyians and attended my first monthly meeting with them on May 12.Not knowing what to expect when I arrived,I meekly approached the meeting area.My self introduction was quickly met with the greeting responses as though I were a longtime friend.Being a new kid on the block in the Etsy community, it was a valuable learning experience.The other members present were very willing to share tips and answer any questions that I had.I would like to thank all who were there for making me feel welcome!

That's all for now.

Rod